Should Progressive Christians condemn the Raw Story(Barton) ed on atheists

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http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/The_lefts_own_religious_whackjobs_0422.html
The left's own religious whackjobs

Melinda Barton - Raw Story columnist Published: Saturday April 22, 2006

The religious nutballs on the extreme right have kept us rational lefties so busy that we've neglected an important although onerous duty -- cleaning the atheist whackjobs out of our own attic,
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EXCERPTS FROM POSTED RESPONSES TO BARTON OP-ED

Melinda Barton HAS provided us with evidence that there is at least one religious whackjob on the left.

If you arrive at despotism or bigotry by atheism or theology, all that's certain is that you're a despot or a bigot.

"Can't we all just try to get along?"... Feelings are a vague thing. Civility solves the problem...

Socially, they're a pain in the ass. They can be more obnoxious than any born again Christian about button-holing you at a social event to diatribe about how mistaken they believe you are in your beliefs. They are a threat to happy parties everywhere. At least the Christians know when they're "witnessing," but these poor idiots don't even seem to know when they're doing it. Okay, okay, not all of them, but that vocal extremist chapter. With these atheists, any conversation about religion quickly becomes an argument. They approach religion with a debunking mindset that is the antithesis of an open mind. Like the extremist Christians, they are extremely impassioned in their views. They get very angry when they talk. It is this extremely emotional proselytizing that does make you wonder, in spite of all evidence to the contrary, if these people would willingly do harm to those who don't share their beliefs (I'm sorry, lack of beliefs), if they only had the power to do so. What the (extreme) Christians and the atheists SAY is different, but the tenor in the voice is so familiar....So what do we do about the atheists? Tell them to tone down the anger. They scare people with it. As Emma Goldman said, "If I can't dance, I don't want to be a part of your revolution."

poorly constructed/researched - Embarrassingly shabby work.

... The real problem with the left in America is post-modernist and all of this "all ideas are equal" crap. ...

(You say)..this piece is simply embarrassing. You've lost a reader....You'd disagree with ONE article on a website that you otherwise have enjoyed, and it sends you running off - If that's not reactionary, cult-like behavior, I don't know what is.

...I thought the piece was way off--until I read the comments. Turns out, there are some serious atheist whackjobs out there! An atheist

1) no mass movement of powerful, angry atheists, 2) this trope that the left is wacky, angry, and anti-religious is a right wing talking point that has little validity but much political utility--for the right.

"MEAN LADY SAID WE COULD BE WRONG! I'LL NEVER VISIT RAW STORY AGAIN! I'M SO SMART!"Good riddance to mean spirited, hateful, intellectually dishonest garbage. Please, please, never visit again--or if you do, please leave the comments forms free for the rest of us to maneuver without your hateful, stupid, pointless pollution.

.. Attempts to classify this as persecution of people of a particular belief system are purely delusional straw men, ignoring the content of the piece to place themselves in the preferred position of victim.

I had no idea so many atheists were such babies. I love how when their hateful rants are torn down logically, all Nancy can do is say she's never coming here again. It's really pathetic.

Denial is not refutation

I don't even want an apology for dismissing thoughtful dissent as "arrogance."

classic religious bigot... Barton illustrates how traits of intolerance and bigotry are not only inherent to all religious adherents, but needed for indoctrination and continued adherence to their religious dogma.

"Although I disagree with atheist precepts, I have respect for the logic and reasoning upon which it is based"...you do not understand logic and reasoning